2 U.S. soldiers killed while disabling bomb in Afghanistan

[sabra]

Source: CNN

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — Two coalition U.S. soldiers were killed along with three Afghans, including a police official, while trying to disable a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan Sunday, the U.S. military said.

The explosion was under investigation, the military said.

The soldiers were part of a convoy of coalition troops accompanying Gulab Mangal, the governor of Helmand province, to a village where he intended to talk to residents about alternatives to opium farming.

The convoy came upon two bombs stacked on top of each other, said local journalist Abdul Tawab Qureshi.

When the soldiers tried to disable the bombs, the second one went off, added Qureshi, saying the blast killed the police chief of the province’s Nad Ali district, Mohammed Nader; a police officer; and a translator.

Read more: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/09/2-us-soldiers-killed-while-disabling-bomb-in-afghanistan/

[AndyA]

1. Disable the bombs. Why?

Why don't they just clear the area, and detonate the bombs from a safe distance? They could back off and shoot at them until they explode. No one dies.

Maybe they're worried about chemical weapons or something, but I just don't understand disabling bombs when they could detonate them from a safe distance and ensure everyone's safety. :shrug:

[JayMusgrove]

2. Where is the proper equipment to do this with? Like a special

tank vehicle I have seen on TV. There's some special truck tank type thing that can be managed from afar by radio control.

Why do our troops STILL not have the right equipment for these things? I hope this changes FAST.